The Platform Classic
by MinnieTheMoocherDA
Summary: Hera takes Jacen on a trip to The Colossus station to see an old friend. [Characters: Hera Syndulla, Kanan Jarrus/Caleb Dume, Jacen Syndulla, Chopper, Aunt Z, Captain Doza, Griff Halloran. Pairings: Kanera]


"Where are we going mama?"

Hera looked down at the young boy next to her. Her beautiful green haired inquisitive young boy.

"Someplace very special love." She told him as lowered the Ghost towards the water covered surface of the planet.

"Is it the space fair?" Jacen exclaimed, jumping up and down on his seat in excitement.

Hera rolled her eyes fondly. He'd been asking her to take them back to the funfair ever since he'd gone of the purrgil carousel that Chopper had tampered with to make it go a lot faster than it should have.

They were through the planet's atmosphere now. Their ship skimmed the surface of the ocean.

"No love." She took a deep breath. "This place is very special because of your Daddy."

She watched as Jacen's eyes widened. It was far from the first time she'd talked to him about Kanan. Almost everyone she'd introduced to the boy had a story to tell about his father. But she'd never taken him anywhere that held significant meaning to him before except Lothal. And now that the war was over, she finally had the chance too.

"Why Mama?" Her son asked.

Hera sighed. She looked out at the station that appeared to rise out of the ocean as they approached it. It was just as she remembered.

…..

"We're almost out of fuel. I'll have to make a stop soon." Hera said.

They'd just completely another mostly successful smuggling mission for the rebellion that as usual had gone to complete kriff but at least they managed to deliver the supplies.

"We're almost out of everything." Kanan mumbled under his breath from the seat besides her and even Chopper beeped in agreement.

Hera didn't dignify them with a response. Especially since they were right. Not only were they almost out of fuel, they had next to no money or food either. The only way to get enough credits to keep living would be to take up on the job Vizago was offering and they weren't that desperate... yet.

"According to this map there's a station in the next system. We can fuel up there and see if anyone is offering any jobs." She told them, already heading towards it's coordinates.

It took them to an ocean covered plant where the only place to land was a man-made station that appeared to rise out of the sea as they approached it from the horizon. They landed on the station where an elderly Theelin was all too happy to take their remaining credits for filling the Ghost up with fuel.

"Come on, I'll buy you a drink whilst we wait." Kanan said with a wink before heading off in the direction of a cantina. Hera rolled her eyes. After travelling with him for over a year, she had gotten used to the human's flirting at this point. It had almost become a running joke between them. She followed him into the cantina an old Gilliand stood behind that counter and a younger one waited at the tables. Music from before the cone wars croaked through the old speakers. Not that the patrons seemed to mind with many of them dancing along, their drinks spilling from their cups and splashing on their clothes. Avoiding any spillages, she sat with Kanan in a booth as the younger one over to them.

"Welcome to Mama Z's. Whadaya want?" She asked her tome suggesting she'd already felt with enough kriff from customers today.

"What non-alcoholic drinks do you have?" Hera asked.

The slight raising of the woman's eyebrow indicated that this wasn't a question she received very often.

"Just water."

"Then we'll have two of those please. Also, you don't happen to know if anyone here is in need of a freighter for a job."

"Most of the trash in here are the ones looking for work." She snorted before her eyes widened and the corner of her mouth curled upwards into a smile, whose deviousness was easy to see behind the fake friendliness.

"Although, if you have a ship and you're looking for money, then you could enter tonight's race. It's the biggest race of the season, The Platform Classic and the last one of the Colossus' reining champion Griff Halloran who has been selected to attend the Imperial Flight Academy on Coruscant, so the prize is doubled. And if you want to make even more money then you could make a bet with my mama on your own ship to win. If you're brave enough."

She let those words hang as she went to serve another table.

Hera turned back to face Kanan who was looking at her with a knowing smile.

"What?" She asked despite knowing exactly what he was thinking.

That smile got even wider as he leant over the table.

"Come on, a chance to make some cash, show off your flying abilities, and kick some soon to be imperial butt. What's not to love?"

He did have a point. It would be a risk betting almost everything they had on this race, but it wasn't as if they did risker things on a daily basis. At least this time they were just risking their money instead of their lives.

"Alright, I'll enter the Ghost in the race. Although I'm blaming you if this ends up backfiring on us."

"I'm not worried. you're the best pilot in the galaxy. I know you can do it."

He was somehow even closer now and the smile on his face had gotten smaller. She could just lean over and kiss him.

"I'll go sign us up now."

She suddenly stood up and headed straight for the bar, not daring to look back, afraid of what Kanan's expression would be. She let out a deep breathe. That was a close call.

As she signed up the Ghost and placed her bet, she tried to determine when this desire had started. If she was honest with herself she'd probably say that there had been something between them since their very first meeting. Whenever it had, it had been getting stronger over the past few months.

She spent the next hour preparing for the race to distract herself from his annoyingly handsome face.

Eventually it was time for the race for to start. Hera was seated in the cockpit of the Ghost with Chopper beside her ready to navigate. She took a quick glance at the ships in the hanger around her. The Ghost was the only freighter amongst them and she could see the pilots giving her ship smug looks, thinking that she would be easy to beat. She smiled to herself.

"Clear skies! I know you can win!" Kanan shouted before he left for the stands.

Chopper beeped at her as she gazed at his retreating form.

"Shut up." She mumbled, turning her attention back to her ship. The last person anyone should be taking relationship advice from is Chopper.

Her fingers grinded against the gears, her engine roaring as she waited for the lights to change to green. She'd had to out run imperial ships more times that she could count but she hadn't been in an actual race since she was a teenager. She had forgotten how much she'd revelled them.

Suddenly the lights flickered on. As they switched from red to green Hera's heart beat in time with their beeps. Until finally they were all green and she propelled herself from the garage. Used to flying in the emptiness of space it took her a minute to get used to the resistance of the air. And with a freighter as appose to the sports ships that all the other racers had which were built to cut through the air it would affect her more. But quickly she figured out how to use it to her advantage.

As they came to their first loop, she came in close behind a green ship. From this distance she could see the numerous sponsor stickers plastered on its rear. She stayed their until they reached the next hoop and managed to pass the ship, it's Rodian pilot shaking his fist at her as she flew by and get behind the next ship in front.

She continued to do this until she reached the last hoop and it was just her and one other racer left. Their ship was black with an imperial symbol graffitied on the wings. No doubt belonging to the platforms reigning champion and soon to be star Imperial pilot. Hera knew that if the Empire was willing to put someone from this far into the outer rim into one of their best academies on Coruscant then he must have some talent. Sure enough, the pilot stayed a wingspan in front of her, serpentining through the clouds as though he moved with the wind. He must have noticed what she'd done with the other pilots as he never let her get behind him. Hera smiled to herself. That didn't matter now.

The pair were closing in on the finishing point now. Hera could hear the screams of the crowd from her cockpit. She swore she heard Kanan's from amongst the crowd despite knowing it was impossible. Just as Griff was about to cross the line, she used all the extra fuel she'd saved by staying in the other ship's streamline and shot past him. A silence fell on the crowd as they tried to come to terms with the fact that their champion had lost.

Ignoring their reaction, she landed the Ghost. When she exited, the Captain of the station was waiting for her. He was young man with warm coloured skin and an impressed smile.

"Congratulations." He said handing over her box of credits. "I've never seen flying like that before. And with a freighter no less! You know, with Griff leaving us we have an opening for the new protector of the station if you're interested?"

"Thank you for the offer, but I am needed elsewhere." Hera replied as she excepted her winnings.

"Very well. I wish you luck on your journey."

She nodded graciously and started walking back up the ramp onto the ship when she heard shouting from outside.

"Wait!"

She turned around to see a boy not much younger than herself running towards her. He had light blonde hair and had patches od stormtroopers sewn onto his jacket.

"That was some pretty good flying out there. For an amateur. I'd like to see you try and repeat that in a rematch." Griff said, a challenging smile on his face and a sparkle in his eye.

"Unfortunately, I have places to be but if I come back I'll hold you to that." Hera said hoping that they didn't shoot each other down in that time.

"I'll be waiting."

Waving goodbye, she went back inside the Ghost. She flew it to the parking area where Kanan was waiting, their winnings from Mama Z's in his hands.

"That were incredible! The way you flew with the air as though you were part of it! Are you sure you're not a Jedi?" Kanan said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes Kanan, I'm sure." She sighed despite the smile on her face.

"Well space magic or not, thanks to you we won't have to do any more jobs for the rest of the year! You're amazing." That last part seemed to slip out of his mouth by accident. He gaped it open and closed as though trying to catch the words and put them back inside his mouth.

It was impossible not to press her own lips against them, if only to force him to stop making that ridiculous expression. Even in all the day dreams that she'd pushed away, she never imagined that kissing him would feel like this. His lips slotted perfectly into hers while his human hair tickled her chin and his breath felt warm against his skin. And when his brain finally realised what was happening the way he held her at the small of her back and how his tongue danced inside her mouth made her knees feel weak. He really was a good kisser.

She wished it could always be like this. Enough money to go around, have fun doing what they love, not having to run from people intent on killing you due to your mire existence. She decided that from now on, she would make the most of these moments, as fleeting as they may be.

…

Hera walked into the familiar cantina. A Gilliand stood behind the bar, whilst people of all species danced to the music that croaked through the old speakers. But that wasn't what caught her eye. No, it was the man sitting at the bar, his frame hunched over an empty stein of bear. His blonde hair had gotten lighter and he now had the Imperial symbol tattooed on his arm. Keeping tight hold of Jacen's hand she made her way over to him.

"Hello." She said, her tone neutral. Griff slowly turned his head in the direction of her voice, a haunted look in his eyes. But when they landed on Hera some of that old spark rekindled in them and an unworn smile graced his face.

"So, you ready for that rematch?"

**A/N I haven't written any star wars rebels stuff for a while. I've missed it! I hope you guys enjoyed this long over due addition to my Spectres and Fireballs series! Xxxxxxxx**


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